Not even the most awkward of equipment failures could stop American runner Chris Robinson from crossing the finish line first.
As he ran the 400-meter hurdles at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in Czechia on Tuesday, Robinson realized his private parts had become fully exposed, before repeatedly trying to adjust his shorts while still running at top speed.
When he realized that wasn’t possible, Robinson ignored the embarrassment and focused on simply winning the race, which he did with a mark of 48.05 seconds.
The time was one-tenth of a second slower than his personal best.
Robinson built a sizable lead, but Brazil’s Matheus Lima nearly caught up to the American after his efforts to rectify his issues below the belt.
He hung on for the narrowest of victories, a .06-second triumph over Lima.
As he crossed the finish line, Robinson somersaulted onto the track in exhaustion, before smiling and shaking his head at what had just transpired.
Robinson, nicknamed “The Anomaly,” is a first-year pro who ran college track at Alabama from 2022-24.
He earned a laundry list of accolades with the Crimson Tide, most of them in his specialty, the 400 hurdles.
The Tallahassee, Fla. native was a 2023 national champion in the event, and was also a 2023 first team All-American and first team All-SEC.
The 24-year-old started his collegiate career at Louisiana Tech before transferring to South Plains College in Texas and eventually landing at Alabama.
Robinson participated in the inaugural Grand Slam Track event in Kingston, Jamaica in April and the second Grand Slam Track meet in Miami in May, finishing second in the 400-meter dash to Brazil’s Alison dos Santos at both events.
That led him to Ostrava, a prestigious gold-level meeting on the World Athletics Continental Tour.